STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3658

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2099

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2099 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VACANCIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the processes for addressing party candidate and state senator vacancies.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections and one individual.

Your Committee finds that meeting the requirements established by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting and its state counterpart involves significant preparation on the part of the Office of Elections. Additionally, the timeline for producing the ballot may be further affected by challenges and objections that may arise after candidate filing deadlines or primary election results that the Office of Elections is obligated to address. While existing law generally accounts for these factors, it does not do so for state senate elections. This measure will clarify and align timelines to allow the Office of Elections sufficient time to prepare ballots in compliance with state and federal election requirements.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2099, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair